


Study Buddy

by cablesscutie



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-09
Updated: 2017-01-09
Packaged: 2018-09-16 00:49:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9266399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cablesscutie/pseuds/cablesscutie
Summary: Bitty really wishes he could do better in school, but his brain just won't let him.  Jack thinks he has a solution.





	

Bitty knew he was a procrastinator. He knew it was a bad habit. And every time he got a new assignment for a class, he said to himself “No more. I am going to get a head start on this _tonight_ and I am going to write a paragraph every night and it’ll be fine.” But every time, he goes home, makes himself an outline, and then pats himself on the back for making such good progress. Then, come the night before the paper’s due date, he would find himself still with nothing more than bullet points and too keyed up to really think about the topic. All the assignments ended up turned in on time, but he was always dissatisfied with his work, knowing it was a just passable pile of caffeine-induced word vomit.

One night over Skype, after getting back yet another C paper on a subject Bitty knew he had at least a B+ grasp on, he broke down in frustrated tears, startling Jack, who had just asked Bitty how school was going. 

“Bits? Bitty, what’s wrong? Did something happen?” he asked, brow furrowed in concern and hands fluttering nervously like he wished he could reach out and offer some kind of physical comfort.

“Oh,” he sniffled, wiping under his eyes. “Honey, it’s - It’s nothing new I suppose. I just didn’t do as well on that essay as I could’ve. And I - I knew I should try harder, and I knew I should’ve started earlier so I’d have time to edit it, but every time I thought about it, I just felt so paralyzed. Like, I knew I _had_ to care, but I couldn’t make my brain actually feel it. You know?” Jack was nodding slowly, now wearing his strategy face.

“I think I kind of get what you mean. I sort of have the same problem.” Bitty laughed wetly.

“Jack, you’re the most obnoxiously responsible student I’ve ever met. I don’t think you’ve procrastinated a damn thing in your entire life.” Jack shook his head.

“No, no, I don’t mean with school. It’s more like…I’m not always great at self care stuff? Like, I have a bunch of alarms and stuff on my phone to remind me to eat or to tell me when to stop working out. Half the time the only reason I can drag myself into the shower is because I know I’m going to be skyping with you and I can’t look like a gym zombie. Sometimes it’s just…hard.”

“That - Yeah, that sounds about right. I want to do it, but the motivation is just never there, or if I don’t try to start the paper until the last minute I can blame that instead of having to admit that I don’t know something. Alarms don’t help though. I just end up brushing it off.” Bitty looked down at his hands folded in his lap, playing with his fingers and wishing he was in Providence. He never felt so stupid or helpless when he was visiting Jack, living their life, cooking dinner together, helping him fold the big bed sheets when they came out of the dryer. Jack was clearly brainstorming a solution to Bitty’s problem, which might have insulted Bitty if Jack hadn’t admitted to having the same issue. He never liked feeling as if he wasn’t completely independent. 

“Maybe I could help you over Skype? You could write a paragraph at the beginning of our calls and that way every time we talk you get a little bit of work done?”

“Oh honey, that’s so sweet, but I don’t want to waste our time together on that. You’ve got better things to do than sit around listening to me try to write some boring paper.”

“I really don’t, Bits. And it’s not a waste of time if it’s going to help you get your grades up where they deserve to be. You’re so smart, _mon lapin_. I just want to help you show your professors that too.” Bitty felt his eyes and cheeks get hot, and he blinked hard to clear his vision as he looked back at his boyfriend.

“Jack…”

“There’s nothing wrong with getting help. Trust me on that one. We’re a team, Bits, and I’m here to help you. No matter what.”

“Thank you, sweetheart. I’ve got your back too.”

When Bitty’s next paper comes back with a B on top of it and a _I knew you had it in you, Eric!_ from the TA, Jack asks to put it up on his fridge.

**Author's Note:**

> The ask box is open for prompts at imaginezimbits.tumblr.com/ask or come visit me on my main at latticeontop!


End file.
